ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chair — a leader
  7. net — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. cold — an illness
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cold — not warm
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — steady
  22. net — after costs
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com